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European Union
The European Union, is an economic and political supranational confederation of 26 member states located on Earth, primarily in the European continent. With a combined population of over 400 million inhabitants the EU represents the largest economy and the fourth largest population on Earth, and is one of the Tau'ri's leading powers. Overview Government type: Supranational Confederation Capitals: *Brussels, Belgium (Executive and Legislative) *Strasbourg, France (Legislative) *Luxembourg (Judicial) Member states *Austria *Belgium *Bulgaria *Catalonia *Croatia *Cyprus *Czechoslovakia *Denmark *Estonia *Finland *France *Germany *Greece *Hungary *Italy *Latvia *Lithuania *Luxembourg *Norway *Netherlands *Poland *Portugal *Romania *Slovenia *Spain *Sweden History :Main article: History of the European Union The European Union was formally established when the Maastricht Treaty came into force on 1 November 1993. In 1995, Austria, Finland, Norway, and Sweden joined the EU. In 2002, euro banknotes and coins replaced national currencies in 12 of the member states. In 2004, the EU saw its biggest enlargement to date when Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovenia joined the Union. In late 2004, the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was signed by representatives and ratified by all of the member states, coming into force on 1 July, 2005. This reformed many aspects of the EU but in particular created a permanent President of the European Council, a strengthened High Representative, merged the European Space Agency and the Western European Union into the framework of the EU, to name a few. On 1 January 2007, Romania and Bulgaria became EU members. In the same year Slovenia adopted the euro, followed in 2008 by Cyprus, and by Estonia in 2011. In June 2009, the 2009 Parliament elections were held, and in July 2009 Iceland formally applied for EU membership. On the 17 January 2011, in light of revelation of the Stargate Program in 2010, the 25 member states of the EU signed the Treaty of Warsaw. The Treaty would reform the Union and give more legislative and executive power to the Parliament and the Commission and create a united foreign policy. On 1 July 2011, the Warsaw Treaty entered into force; reforming, strengthening and expanding the European Union into a true confederation. In particular it created the position of Chancellor, who is elected every five years by the European Parliament, and acts as the de facto leader of the EU. The first European Union-built interstellar vessel, the ''Lafayette'', was launched on 12 August 2011. The EU received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for having "contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy, and human rights in Europe." The European colony of New Strasbourg was established on Ariane in 2012. On 1 July 2013, Croatia became the 26th EU member. Organisation The European Union is loosely defined as a supranational confederation which functions as a blend between the presidential and parliamentary systems of government. The "confederal government" of the EU is composed of three main branches: legislative, executive and judicial, which in turn consist of six institutions: the European Parliament and the European Council together compose the bicameral Legislature, along with the European Council of Ministers; which acts as a subsidiary body of the Council, the European Commission; which is led by the Chancellor and serves as the Executive, the Court of Justice which is the judiciary, and finally the European Central Bank; which is the monetary executive and central bank of the EU. Legislature of the Union European Parliament The European Parliament is effectively the lower house of the bicameral European Legislature and shares the legislative and budgetary authority of the Union with the European Council, but it is the Parliament that is the main decision making body of the Union. Its 750 members are elected every five years by universal suffrage and sit according to political allegiance. They represent over 400 million citizens (Earth's second largest democratic electorate) and form the only directly elected body in the Union. European Council The European Council, officially known as the "Council of the Union", is probably the most important institution in the EU. The Council is formed by a representative (usually an ex-minister or an ex-PM) of each national government and acts in a similar manner to an upper house, although it has both executive and legislative functions. The Council meets regularly, several times a month and it is an important institution as it represents the interests of the member states in the Union. However, on important occasions, and usually about 4 times a year, an extraordinary Council is called in which the different heads of government of the member-states meet to discuss with the Commission and the Chancellor the general direction of the EU. :Main article: European Council of Ministers The European Council of Ministers, officially the "Council of Ministers of the Union" is a subsidiary body of the Council where European ministers meet to discuss policy cooperation and coordination, and is where member states and their government discuss with each other, and the Commission's ministers, policy-making at a lower and more specific level than the Council. Membership in the Council of Ministers is formed by national ministers, the compostition of which varies depending upon the topic being discussed. Commission :Main article: European Commission The European Commission is the executive arm of the Union, which acts as a cabinet government composed of one appointee from each member state. The Commission is led by the Chancellor, with the remaining members being appointed by national governments and the Council, subject to approval by the Parliament. The Commission acts as a collegial body, in which each member is responsible for their policy area while the Chancellor sets the bigger agenda and coordinates it. Chancellor Originally intended as a mere coordinator of policy-makers, with time the position of Chancellor has gained increasing importance. The Chancellor sets the short-term and medium-term agenda of the EU, controls the role and actions of the members of the Commission, coordinates in policy-making, represents the EU internationally, answers to the Parliament about their actions and those of the Commission and usually deals with national leaders. The Chancellor is elected every five years by EU citizens and is the leader of the majority party in the Parliament, but does not sit in Parlaiment. Their appointment is subject to approval by the Council. The first, and current, Chancellor is Francois Rabaud of France, who was appointed in 2011. Court of Justice :Main article: Court of Justice The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) is the institution of the European Union that encompasses the whole judiciary. The Court constitutes the judicial authority of the European Union and, in cooperation with the courts and tribunals of the Member States, it ensures the uniform application and interpretation of European Union law. Seated in Luxembourg, it consists of two major courts and a number of specialised courts. Central Bank :Main article: European Central Bank The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank for the eurozone (the states which have adopted the euro) and thus controls monetary policy in that area with an agenda to maintain price stability. It is at the centre of the European System of Central Banks which comprises all EU national banks. The bank is governed by a board of national bank governors and a President. The ECB is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. Military strength The European Union Defence Forces (EUDF) were created in 2004 by the TCE which created an autonomous EU military command, which initially consisted of 50,000 personnel and is headquartered in Luxembourg. The organization consists of three branches: a Ground Forces, Navy and an Air Force, and also operates the European space fleet. The EUDF has not replaced the national militaries of member states, though there is a growing movement for it to do so, instead serving as a dedicated Union-wide defence force and handler of all EU interstellar operations. External links * * Category:Tau'ri organizations Category:Earth countries Category:Locations in Europe